Best Dressed at the Emmys
Monday, Sep 17 2007

I was at a party at my friend’s cafe in the North End tonight, so I unfortunately missed the Emmys. However, I am quite happy to provide commentary on the best dressed women of the night!

#1: Ana Ortiz (Ugly Betty) in Escada

If I were going to the Emmys, this is exactly the kind of gown I would wear — purple, slinky and HOTT. It’s not particularly new and exotic, but it’s a fantastic gown that looks gorgeous on her frame. The mermaid shape is a classic that gets dressed up by the almost-retro, 70s/80s fabric. (Actually, I had a shirt from that fabric in the early 90s. It was gold, and I loved it.) Felicidades.

#2: Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives) in Georges Chakra

I think that Marcia Cross is one of the unsung heroes of fashion. Each year, she looks fantastic, whether in forest green, coral or white, like this year. Marcia is fabulous with color. Very fair-skinned redheads only look good in a few colors, but Marcia always picks an offbeat color and looks gorgeous. How many redheads can pull off white without looking washed out? The cuts are usually the same for her, with a flattering, looser A-line dress. She knows exactly what cuts work best for her, and as a result, she doesn’t deviate from them. (Also, it doesn’t hurt to keep in mind that she had twins a few months ago.)

#3: Portia de Rossi (Arrested Development — RIP) in Azzuro

Portia is hit or miss when it comes to fashion. She’s more adventurous than most, and as a result, she often ends up on worst dressed lists. However, the gowns she chooses are not ugly, just different, unexpected and JUST over the edge, taste-wise. This gown is more conservative than the ones she usually wears, but I am crazy about the neckline, and the color looks beautiful on her.

#4: Heidi Klum (Project Runway) in Dior by John Galliano

This dress isn’t particularly innovative, especially for a wild designer like John Galliano, but it looks great on her. I love the neckline, I love the slit, and while I wouldn’t ordinarily choose this color for Heidi, she looks great in it. One Galliano trademark is the large bow on the side — he’s been doing those for the last few seasons, and since Charlize Theron is the resident Dior fan, she’s modeled a lot of them at awards shows.

#5: Olivia Wilde (House) in Zuhair Murad

I’m not sure who she is, but this is a gorgeous gown, if not terribly original. It looks great. I love the sleeves.

Honorable Mention: Julia Louis-Dreyfus (The New Adventures of Old Christine) in Narciso Rodriguez

I love the color. During her tenure on Seinfeld, Julia wore black to the Emmys all but one year (when she surprisingly wore lime green). That makes me especially happy to see the beautiful purple. I don’t, however, like the bottom of the gown — the hemline is too obvious, and I would love for it to be more subtle.

Honorable Mention: America Ferrara (Ugly Betty) in Monique Lhullier

This is a very safe gown. Monique Lhullier is a much appreciated designer, and at least one of her gowns has ended up on the red carpet at every event. However, her style hasn’t particularly evolved over the past few years. I love the color, and the gown looks great on a curvy woman like America, but I’m not blown away. Perhaps it’s mean, but I feel like the designer phoned it in.

Honorable Mention: Ali Larter (Heroes) in Reem Acra

Reem Acra is so hot right now. Ali looks like a candy apple. This gorgeous satin gown is classy and elegant. Again, it’s not terribly innovative, but I think that simple works here. I think we’re going to see a lot more from Reem Acra in the next few years.